This book came highly recommended and it didn't disappoint. I hadn't read any books by M.L. Wang before though I know of her and Sword of Kaigen. It's been in my TBR for a while now. This one on the other hand came out of the blue as far as I am concerned. 

Sciona and Thomil are the two protagonists. Sciona has been a prodigy, a genius and she has spent her life oblivious to everything and being as self absorbed and selfish as a person can be in her pursuit of magic. Magic is what makes the city of Tiran where she lives go around, and it is a gift from their god who embodies truth and a spirit of enquiry. In a world where women are expected to be the lesser citizens and denied opportunities for higher research, she is determined to succeed. But her entry into the High Magistry doesn't open doors as she expected it to. Her male colleagues are determined to think she didn't get in on her merit and shows their disdain by giving her a Kwen Janitor as an assistant instead of a qualified university graduate.

Kwen are the outcasts, the ones who comes from the wild lands beyond the barrier that keeps Tiran safe. The lands beyond are subject to the Blight, a bright light that strikes from above and kills instantly, by unravelling flesh and muscle till only blood is remaining of the victim. The Tirannish hold that it's a punishment from God for the ungodly ways of the Kwen. Tiran, under her magical barrier, is protected from the Blight. 

The janitor, Thomil is a hunter who had seen his entire family except his niece die from the blight before his eyes. He and his niece, Carra who he raises, are the last of the Caldonnae who once numbered in the thousands. The lands outside are rendered inhospitable since the Blight takes animals, plants and men alike. 

Sciona and Thomil form an unlikely friendship as they delve into Sciona's project: the expansion of the barrier. If she can come up with a viable method that's better than that of her peers, she can prove beyond doubt that she is worthy of being in the High Magistry, that a woman is capable of doing as well, if not better, than men in her chosen field. But her attempt to come up with a better way leads to her discovering the buried truth behind Tiran's magic and prosperity. It's a truth that destroys everything she believes in, and alienates everyone around her.

There were places in the book where I wanted to kick Sciona and places where I wanted to shake her. But thankfully, it all changed soon. I was so anxious for her that I had to stop reading and breathe for a bit. 

To say this book ripped the heart right out of my chest from chapter one is not an understatement. It was so intense, and I had so many emotions. The ending was strangely cathartic, and despite how sad I was, realistically, no other ending would have worked. 

This book deals with a lot of themes. Feminism, sexism, misogyny, colonialism, bigotry, racism, and the ills of all these are brought out in one way or another. Some of the characters are almost like caricatures, but even then, they remain representative of the evils they embody. 

I loved Sciona's character development as well as Thomil's. Even though she makes her appearance only after the mid way point, Carra is also a memorable character who grows in the space given to her. 

I needed two days to settle down enough to write this review. This book impacted me that much. Even now, I am not sure I'm doing justice to it. 

I would recommend it to anyone who loves epic fantasy, high fantasy, complex and well defined magical systems, character driven stories, and anyone who loves M.L. Wang's books. There's nothing about this book I didn't love. 

Just go and read it. You won't regret it!

Wow! What a book to start 2024. I loved this so much, the way the story started and ended was beautiful! I loved every single character. I think whatever way I write this review will do injustice to the beauty of this story. It was amazingly well written and I felt like I was there. I might update this when I have clarity.

Pesado, emocionante e levou o fuck white people bem a sério (é sobre). Se você gostou de Babel você vai gostar desse também.

blood over bright haven is a powerful book that meditates on important and relevant themes of truth, power and survival through a magic system that makes physically literal the horrors of societal development at the price of human lives.

through her opposing tiranish and kwen characters, wang masterfully explores the warped logic the powerful uses to justify the exploitation of the powerless, and the toxic dynamic between them. it is nuanced and fully fleshed out, satisfying in its truth and takedown of the hypocrisy of it all, as are her main characters, esp sciona. all this is further propped up by the strong writing and distinct worldbuilding. 

the novel could be a bit shorter, however, and some of the plot points are surprisingly predictable for me, thus lessening the impact of their reveals overall. this book also makes me realize that dark academia isnt for me - this being my second time reading one - as i find the incessant loop of studying and research dull for the most part. in capable hands like wang's, though, this book is a must read regardless of genre preferences.

AMAZING – easy 5 stars - This was a great read -A NEW ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK

I have nothing bad to say about this book other then I wish there was more, this is now one of my top favorite books.

The characters were amazing, the story was amazing, the world was amazing. 
This book made me feel sad, it made me smile, a rare chuckle here and there between the darkness of the story, M. L. Wang made me mad at characters (the bad guys) but then happy when they got their comeuppance. This book was a roller coaster of emotions, and I will defiantly re-read it again in the future. 

(I was given a free earc , but i was planning on buying this book anyways as i loved the sword of kaigen and M. L. Wang’s writing style. I was not disappointed in this book and the second this book is available to buy as a physical copy i am buying it for my personal library)

This book is a standalone dark fantasy (very dark academia with some sifi-fantasy elements). Warning there are some dark topics and some heavy stuff in the book so please check the end of the review for trigger warnings if you are concerned. 

The story follows two characters. The first is Sciona a woman who has been spending her whole life in academia studying magic trying to work her way up to the highest position in her field a Highmage which historically woman have never been allowed this position. You follow her fighting her way through a misogynistic society, where her new colleagues don’t want her there and every turn her sex is being used against her. This brings in our second character Thomil. Thomil is a janitor that Sciona’s colleagues force upon her as her new assistant, as a joke on her and on Thomil. Thomil is from a group of people call the Kwen who are refugees or descendants of refugees from outside the city of Tiran who have been decimated buy a destruction call the Blight. Thomil is consider a second-class citizen and doesn’t have many rights in society. The story follows the two having to work together to help Sciona survive the world of being a highmage and to discover the mysteries of magic. 

The main theme of this book is looking for the truth – the main character is a researcher, “a magical scientist researching how magic works and to how better use magic.” This bring up topics and questions of is all truth good, what should you do with the truth and is it better to be ignorant of the truth or knowingly ignoring it. 

What I loved about the book was the magic system, it reminded me very much of science and statistics and coding (and maybe I am a little bias as I am scientist working in research) it was so very clever. The best way to explain the magic system is the Law of matter or equivalent exchange. 

M. L. Wang is amazing at character development, she writes her characters so realistic with flaws and vices and realistic reactions to terrible and happy events. It made the story feel so real, which is amazing for a standalone book. 

As I have said this book was amazing, I can’t wait to see what M. L. Wang writes next. 
I would recommend to anyone. 




TRIGGER WARNINGS (can be spoilers)
Suicidal thoughts, sexual assault, suicide attempt